Optimal
Breathing Development®

The
man kindly taught her how to breathe
slowly and deeply from the abdomen,
concentrating on a long out-breath,
letting the in-breath take care of itself.
"It will relax you," he said.from: 'The Holy Man' by Susan Trott

Why optimal breathing?
Optimal breathing® is achieving our best natural breathing under all
circumstances, whether at rest or at play. Optimal breathing is an important element of
overall health as well as good natural vision. The
retina, if compared by weight, requires more oxygen than any other part
of the body. The brain requires lots of oxygen too, and because seeing
is largely a mental process, it follows that if there is insufficient
oxygen supply, our vision will be negatively affected. Conversely, an
abundant supply of oxygen to the eyes and brain will help us see better.

All
healing originally resides in the human breathing systemRudolf
Steiner

Natural vision and optimal breathing go hand in hand
One of the first people who came to me for vision improvement after my
optimal breathing development training was a lady whose breathing seemed very
restricted. I decided to teach her how to improve her breathing before
addressing her vision habits. After just a few minutes her breathing began
to loosen up, and she joyfully announced that she could already see an
extra line on the eye-chart behind me.

Find
the cause of shallow breathing
What causes us to lose our natural breathing pattern?
This will differ for everyone, so here are some possible factors:

* Muscle tension from stress or holding on to emotions is often
the biggest factor. It can reduce rib cage flexibility
and/or cause diaphragm deterioration if left unresolved.
* One factor I notice many of us have in common is tight clothing.
We like to pull our belts tight, whether for fashion or to hide a
bulge. The result is a restriction of space for the abdomen
to move into when the diaphragm pushes down.
* Posture problems are definitely related to shallow breathing.
* Being overweight makes it harder for the diaphragm to move down
on an inhale.
* Air pollution, including using 'air fresheners' in the home,
other household chemicals, smoke and/or paint fumes can cause us
to instinctively restrict our breathing and can irritate the
lungs, which may lead to infections.

If any of these possible causes apply to you, then determine for
yourself if it is time to make some changes to help you return to
natural breathing. If you do, your whole life will be
enriched, not just your breathing or your vision.

The blood chemistry of breathing: Acid/Alkaline
balance
Beside the mechanics of breathing, another factor to look into is the
alkaline/acid balance of the blood, because an overly acid pH will cause
a faster breath rate. The body automatically increases the expiration
of CO2 in an effort to return to proper alkalinity. If the cause of over-acidity
isn't addressed, the breath rate
will stay too high, despite any attempts to slow it down.

Relaxation and natural breathing
As with vision, breathing requires dynamic relaxation for optimal function.
- The more we relax as the diaphragm rises with each exhale, the more
used air is expelled and the easier and more efficient our next inhale
will be.
- The more our belly relaxes, the easier it is for the diaphragm to push
down so our lungs can fill fully with fresh oxygen.
- The more our intercostal and chest muscles relax, the more our ribcage
can expand with each inhale, allowing for a fuller breath.
- The more our back muscles relax, the more use we can
make of the full capacity of our lungs as they expand effortlessly in
all directions with each inhale.

...
there is no absolute "correct" method of breathing;
there is only breathing coordination. The muscles
and sets of muscles of the human respiratory mechanism
are designed to operate in a perfectly coordinated synergism
to give the individual the maximum breathing efficiency
of which he is capable and to give it to him with a
minimum expenditure of energy.
From 'Dr. Breath, the story of breathing coordination'
by Carl Stough

How can breathing be improved, besides relaxing more?
To release the often long-held tension in our bodies, and learn
to relax in our movements, it may help to take a few sessions
with a breathing coach. The breathing techniques I teach
are safe, fast and make a real difference in the ability to breathe
fully and easily. I am an Optimal Breathing® Development
Specialist, trained by Mike White, and I have also been trained
in Authentic Breathing techniques by Dennis Lewis.
I teach breathing as part of a regular vision class depending
on the individual's needs.

As the popularity of yoga continues to surge, breath-control exercises
are becoming increasingly popular. As useful and powerful as breath-control
exercises can be in well-defined situations, however, their indiscriminate
use can result in harmful biochemical and hormonal imbalances, affecting
not just the body but also the mind. What's more, exercises involving
breath holding and muscle tensing can over time result in restrictions
in our breathing muscles and tissues and undermine the harmonious coordination
required for healthy breathing. They can even damage the lungs through
overstretching of lung tissue. As Optimal Breathing teacher and therapist
Mike White points out: "Any breath-control exercise that we repeat
too often will bring about restrictions in our breathing."

Imagine
a world without trees...
It will take your breath away.

How do I know if my breathing is below par or not? You can evaluate your own breathing
by taking a
free breathing test. And you can check out the information
put together by Mike White, who is an expert on optimal breathing.
He may also be able to recommend a breathing coach in your
area. Listed below are more breathing teachers and their
classes are well worth your time if you suspect you need some
help in returning to natural breathing patterns.

Reading suggestions
There are good books available on breathing development; see the
list on the books page.

Mike
Whitegives a ten minute talk about breathing
and includes vision at the end of this video:

Teachers
of Breathing Development

Michael Grant White, Charlotte & Waynesville, NC.
Mike is the founder of the Optimal Breathing School.
He has an extensive website, offers a free newsletter, and has lots
of helpful products for sale. Mike's "Optimal breathing kit"
is a good way to work on your own breathing at home.

Mention my name (Esther Joy van der Werf, or mention Visions of Joy)
when you contact Mike and he'll give you a 10% discount!